SINCE THE PREMIER League began, an average of eight teams have parted ways with their manager per season.
More often than not, managers leave during the season, and it’s invariably not of their own volition.
Today, Sunderland dismissed Gus Poyet — the fourth consecutive season in which they have sacked a manager during the campaign.
With more at stake than ever in modern football, the number of managers getting the boot has inevitably increased substantially over the years.
Given that this phenomenon is becoming more commonplace all the time, we decided to try to discern whether sacking your manager during the season is ultimately a successful policy more often than not.
The figures below are a list of all the managers who have been sacked in the past five campaigns.
Listed beside the managers in question is the position the club were at when they were dismissed, followed by the position the club finished at the end of the season in question.
Keep in mind, we have excluded managers who left clubs by mutual consent, as well as those who were sacked pre or post-season.
In total, 27 managers have been sacked mid-season in the last five years, including Poyet.
Excluding the Uruguayan, of the 26 who were dismissed, there were 11 positive results (i.e. the team improved on their position at the end of the season).
Meanwhile, nine clubs were ultimately worse off after parting with the manager, and six were in the same position come the campaign’s conclusion.
The figures below are obviously imperfect. For instance, Chelsea were ostensibly worse off after sacking André Villas-Boas — finishing sixth whereas they were previously fifth — but those stats do not take into account their Champions League win in the same season under Roberto Di Matteo.
Ultimately, the figures suggest a club is only slightly more likely to benefit by sacking a manager, though they, of course, only take into account the short-term impact such changes have on the team in question.
2010/11
Chris Hughton (Newcastle) – 11th – 12th
Sam Allardyce (Blackburn) – 13th – 15th
Roy Hodgson (Liverpool) – 12th – 6th
Roberto Di Matteo (West Brom) – 17th – 11th
2011/2012
Steve Bruce (Sunderland) – 16th – 13th
Neil Warnock (QPR) – 17th – 17th
Mick McCarthy (Wolves) – 18th – 20th
André Villas-Boas (Chelsea) – 5th – 6th
2012/2013
Roberto Di Matteo (Chelsea) – 3rd – 3rd
Mark Hughes (QPR) – 20th – 20th
Nigel Adkins (Southampton) – 15th – 14th
Brian McDermott (Reading) – 19th – 19th
Martin O’Neill (Sunderland) – 16th – 17th
2013/2014
Paolo Di Canio (Sunderland) – 20th – 14th
Ian Holloway (Crystal Palace) – 19th – 11th
Martin Jol (Fulham) – 18th – 19th
Steve Clarke (West Brom) – 16th – 17th
André Villas-Boas (Tottenham) – 7th – 6th
Malky Mackay (Cardiff) – 16th – 20th
Michael Laudrup (Swansea) – 12th – 12th
Rene Meulensteen (Fulham) – 20th -19th
Chris Hughton (Norwich) – 17th – 18th
David Moyes (Man United) – 7th – 7th
2014/15 (based on current standings)
Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace) – 18th – 12th
Alan Irvine (West Brom) – 16th – 13th
Paul Lambert (Aston Villa) – 18th – 16th
Gus Poyet (Sunderland) – 17th – ?
